Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: Calimero on 11 June 2016, 06:28:18 PM
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Can seem to sell my figures1 as well as I usually do… Now, I’m wondering what the problem might be. Bad painting? Bad pictures? Maybe they’re too expensive? Does other have a hard time selling their painted minis too? ;D
1 http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=88545.0#top
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I often find it depends on the period or manufacturer, you also have kickstarters a plenty at the moment which diverts cash buyers. I suspect with sharp practice 2 out the big seller will be napoleonics as a trend with other black powder games followed by colonials. Its a fickle hobby sometimes😃
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Just glancing at your thread, you have a very peculiar way of painting. I think that would really hinder the sales. Your style and paint method are very different from most of what I see, and I think people would hesitate to buy stuff if it doesn't fit in with their painted units.
That being said, I struggle to sell painted stuff on ebay too. lol
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Maybe it's also location?
Europeans can get hit by import duties on top of postage, so that would impact on the price.
I don't bother looking at anything from over the pond because I've been hit for import tax before. I know some people get away with it, but I won't even look at kickstarters that are intercontinental for the same reason.
I don't see anything wrong with the painting. It's individual, but all paintwork is. It wouldn't match anything I've got purely because I don't have anything else on those lines.
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Exchange rate, postage cost and different focus ATM.
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I have actually looked at some of your stuff a few times and have no problem with your painting style, in fact I quite like your camel riders. But for me the problem is exchange rate, shipping charges, customs charges and the extra £8 Royal Mail charges to collect the customs duty!
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It's a common complaint that painted mins seem to be difficult to shift. A lot of buyers (not all) prefer to paint their own mins, so unless it's a crazy high standard of painting (even that doesn't guarantee anything), they're thinking about having to strip everything down before repainting it themselves.
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They look nice and clean but if they were mine I would consider them about halfway finished. Maybe try some washes and hi-lights? They're a bit shiny in the pictures too. I'm certainly no expert though!:)
Good luck!
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I buy a lot of minis from Calimero, who is the fastest and nicest painter I know. His style is different, but it has a real clean and vibrant quality to it. Based on how much he charges I think they are a steal. He painted all of my 15mm sci fi miniatures.
Maybe some more terrain in the background? I painted some fishmen, and although the paint was lousy, they looked good in front of the terrain.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7162/6411081409_b059319063_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/aLwt9n)Deep Ones (https://flic.kr/p/aLwt9n) by oldben1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/26861900@N00/), on Flickr
By the way, here is some of Calimero's work:
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/4/3937/14992274853_a79f4dd8c4_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oQPjZt)photo (2) (https://flic.kr/p/oQPjZt) by oldben1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/26861900@N00/), on Flickr
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It's always a bit slow in the summer, holidays are expensive.
Your painting is clean and precise but as gary42 said some shading/highlighting would add a bit of depth, maybe a thinned coat of army painter quickshade?
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Its a fickle hobby sometimes :)
That’s true! lol
I suspect with sharp practice 2 out the big seller will be napoleonics as a trend with other black powder games...
I have French WSS Cavalry and AWI Infantry in the painting queue… all individually based… maybe they’ll sell better ;)
you have a very peculiar way of painting. I think that would really hinder the sales
Interesting point. I’m not really keen on shading and highlight. If I do them they tend to be quite subtle and not much visible on pictures.
Maybe it's also location?
I also advertised them on TMP which, I think, have a good base of North American members. Figures there always sell well and fast… but not this time.
I have actually looked at some of your stuff a few times and have no problem with your painting style, in fact I quite like your camel riders. But for me the problem is exchange rate, shipping charges, customs charges and the extra £8 Royal Mail charges to collect the customs duty!
Thanks, Sunjester. Shipping far away might be a problem indeed. We sometimes have custom fees in Canada too but not always… Packages that have greater declared values or are simply heavier than ordinary seems to attract more attentions >:(
they're thinking about having to strip everything down before repainting it themselves.
As I said earlier, the figures I paint usually sell fast and well. I don’t think any of them were bought to be stripped down… There are (there were) a lot of people interested in painted minis that might not be of the highest standard but hare affordable and "ready to play". But maybe the market is saturated now?
I would consider them about halfway finished. Maybe try some washes and hi-lights? They're a bit shiny in the pictures too.
This is a problem I have lately. I own Army Painter anti-shine varnish both in spray and brush-on version but they don’t cover the shiny paint as well as they use to do… maybe it’s a bad batch. But this is a problem. The figures on sale now aren’t as shinny as they look in the pictures but still too much for my taste.
His style is different, but it has a real clean and vibrant quality to it. Based on how much he charges I think they are a steal
Thanks Oldben1, The pictures you take of the figures I painted are better than mine! I think they better showed the kind of painting I do…whether this is a good thing or bad ;)
It's always a bit slow in the summer
Your painting is clean and precise but as gary42 said some shading/highlighting would add a bit of depth, maybe a thinned coat of army painter quickshade?
That may be the answer. It might simply be a bit slow, as you said.
Regarding shadings and highlights, I’m not sure I really like them. Maybe it’s because I don’t master the technique. The figures you paint look great, really great but some people using the "3 layers technique" produce figures that may look good on pictures and, probably at some distance, but look terribly "dirty" and "botched" when you see them up-close.
I’ve dig a bunch of 20mm WWII SBS figures out of the lead pile. I promise I’ll try to paint them and give them a coat of Minwax "wash"… I’ll see if they look better that way compare to my regular painting style ;D
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The way I paint is more suited for some kind of figures (or even figures’ themes, so to speak) and suits better some manufacturers like Pulp Figures, Crusader, Dixon and Front Rank. It work less well with figures with more small details like the Perry’s or Paul Hicks’ sculpts. It also works less well on some figures that are missing some details like Old Glory and some Reaper Bones human type…
BTW you can see more pictures of the figures I’ve done in the past here;
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=41668.0
I also have some pictures in the Gallery section of LAF;
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=132;u=1642;start=0
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I'd have to agree with most of the folks regarding the figure painting. It's very cleanly done and nicely detailed, but it's mostly the block color "toy soldier" style. That style has it's fans, but most wargamers today consider a wash and highlight (even if just a drybrush) to be a standard part of figure painting.
I think that if nothing else a light "dip" or Brush-dip of Army painter quickshade or Minwax Polyshades is necessary, at least for the figures in fatigues and darker colors. Here's how I brush-dip my figures. http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2012/01/with-liberty-and-brush-dipping-for-all.html
If you're having trouble cutting the shine on figures, I recommend brushing on a coat or two of Winsor Newton Galleria Matte Varnish. I've had mixed results with spray on matte varnishes, but Winsor Newton is quick and always comes through for me.
Good luck with your business whatever path you decide to take.
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It never hurts to work on your craft, you're not the first painter I've heard who is having trouble selling miniatures. Like I said before, one of the reasons I use you as a painter is your customer service and your prices. Miniatures are like art, it's always nice to see different interpretations of the same mini.
If you ever need terrain to use for your photography, let me know.
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I like your work. Being a fellow Canadian helps (shipping costs, $ conversion etc).
What has stopped me from purchasing is:
Timeframe - now (like many others) is just not the right time.
The picture quality...either appear too glossy or the colours look off...your "yellow" French Foreign Legion for example :)
There's nothing that suits my needs.
There have been many times where I've looked at your work, wanting to buy and the items are pending sales or just recently sold.
It is a fickle market. Maybe you are supplying items that aren't in demand this month? Perhaps painting miniatures for the next "bandwagon" game. Ie. It seems everyone (except me) is playing Frostgrave...so paint some medievals, or skeletons...? Or 1 or 2 point sets for SAGA.
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Postage may be alot of this. Postal rates and fees have increased in the last few years. I'm down here in sunny Southern California, and Canada is our (national) neighbor, but postage from there to here is insane. Getting items flown over from England is much cheaper (and faster!) I no longer look at items on Ebay from Canada.
I also used to do Ebay as a "semi-professional", and can tell you that of the 4 figure states (unassembled, assembled, primed and painted) painted sells the slowest and the lowest, unless the painting is phenominal or Nurgle/Space Wolvian. (All the Nurgle green and decay just kind of goes together, same with grey and fur).
And you may be charging too little. Yes, you read that right. People will assume that means a lack of quality, as in shoddy work. Quick family story-my grand father was an artist, doing old jobs in LA to,feed the family and his passion. During the Depreesion he took an ad out in the LA Times promoting portrait work, $50 a painting. And then waited and waited. Then one week the phone starting ringing off the hook. My grandfather took the bookings and wondered what had changed. He read the ad and found the Times had made a mistake and added a zero to the price. At $50 no one wanting a portrait, but at $500, well that said quality and skill and professionalism, all qualities someone who can afford a portrait wants in a painter. So my father ate well that summer and learned a valuble lesson. Looking at the other post you linked to, you are charging about $5 a figure, and the figures probably cost half or more of that. Unless you can paint 15-20 an hour, you are too low. If you can paint 15-20 an hour, the go full army commission work.
And at those prices, I would stop selling pre-painted figures and start doing comission work. Websites are free these days and you can advertise for nothing to the whole world. Quick low cost painting service will get you work, postal charges not forbiding!
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… but it's mostly the block color "toy soldier" style... today consider a wash and highlight (even if just a drybrush) to be a standard part of figure painting.
… http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2012/01/with-liberty-and-brush-dipping-for-all.html
… I recommend brushing on a coat or two of Winsor Newton Galleria Matte Varnish.
They do have a "toy soldier look". I like how clean this style is… Someone on LAF compared it to Hergé’s ligne claire style… That being said I’m ready to change things if it helps me to sell figures. BTW, thanks for the link and tips on the varnish! 8)
Miniatures are like art, it's always nice to see different interpretations of the same mini.
Thanks Oldben1, I appreciate the comments. I think the figures you ask me to paint for you give me the chance to try new things, out of the "purely historical" realms :)
The picture quality...either appear too glossy or the colours look off...your "yellow" French Foreign Legion for example :)
…Maybe you are supplying items that aren't in demand this month? Perhaps painting miniatures for the next "bandwagon" game. Ie. It seems everyone (except me) is playing Frostgrave...so paint some medievals, or skeletons...? Or 1 or 2 point sets for SAGA.
Ah yay… the famous yellow FFL… My camera seems to have a mind of its own. There were the yellow FFL and the "blue period" of LPL 91… I try to set back the white balance on it but it never last long.
I would like to paint figures for Frostgrave and other fantasy games. I plan to. I got A LOT of figures from the last 2 Reaper Bones campaign that I would like to paint and sell. The problem is I don’t have the rules and no "army list". I’m kind of lost as to what buyers would want for their games.
1 http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=77485.0
And you may be charging too little. Yes, you read that right…
And at those prices, I would stop selling pre-painted figures and start doing commission work.
I will raise my prices then! ;D
Seriously taking better pictures would help. As for commission work, it was a small part of the figures sales I’ve done in the past. Maybe 1/5th… Nowadays it’s about 2 times the sales I’ve done on the "pre-painted" market.
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They do have a "toy soldier look". I like how clean this style is… Someone on LAF compared it to Hergé’s ligne claire style… That being said I’m ready to change things if It helps me to sell figures. BTW, thanks for the link and tips on the varnish! 8)
You're very welcome. Now that you mention it, your style does remind me of Tintin. I hope business picks up for you soon.
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I've got another commission in mind already! ::)
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I've got another commission in mind already! ::)
Always a pleasure, Oldben1 ;)
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Going thru the net, it seems like selling is a little slow lately... even for unpainted figures. Some manufacturers seems to have an hard time selling their stuff too!
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Well, we have the Reaper kickstarter, the forgestarter, and gnickstarter all either kicking off or about to kick off. Additonally this is the big US " show" season, with lots of manufacturers about to release new games and models for Origins and Gencon. A very expensive summer for some of us ;D
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I like the way you paint. it is a cartoonish painting style.
This goes well with pulp figures and they sell well. :-*
It may be a good idea to add 1 or 2 layers of paint but you will take 2 or 3 more time to paint.
So, you will have to increase the price for the time used... Painting for 15 minutes or more than one hour per miniatures is not the same thing... >:(
I hope you will go on with your painting style ! It is a pleasure to see your posts.
;)
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Thanks for the comment, Figuouze.
As promised I’ve try to paint some 20mm Britannia SBS using the "wash" technique;
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/Calimero_34/20mm%20SBS%20%201_zps7vu62iv0.jpg) (http://s289.photobucket.com/user/Calimero_34/media/20mm%20SBS%20%201_zps7vu62iv0.jpg.html)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/Calimero_34/20mm%20SBS%20%202_zpsdtrjieqs.jpg) (http://s289.photobucket.com/user/Calimero_34/media/20mm%20SBS%20%202_zpsdtrjieqs.jpg.html)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll206/Calimero_34/20mm%20SBS%20%203_zpsncbpuzsu.jpg) (http://s289.photobucket.com/user/Calimero_34/media/20mm%20SBS%20%203_zpsncbpuzsu.jpg.html)
Cheers! 8)
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Splash some matte varnish on them and call it a day! Looks great!
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Thanks for the comment.
They do HAVE matt varnish! Crapy photography skills and all that... make them look more shiny that they really are lol
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Ah... That old chestnut:)